Spring 2010 Courses

Continuation of Italian 101. Three class hours per week, plus weekly drill sessions and language laboratory assignments. Study of the basic forms, structures, and vocabulary. More attention is paid to reading and writing.

Continuation of Italian 101. Three class hours per week, plus weekly drill sessions and language laboratory assignments. Study of the basic forms, structures, and vocabulary. More attention is paid to reading and writing.

Three class hours per week and one weekly conversation session with assistant. Aims to increase fluency in both spoken and written Italian. Grammar fundamentals are reviewed. Class conversation and written assignments are based on contemporary texts of literary and social interest.

In the recent past, Italy has experienced violent political, economic, and cultural changes. In short succession, it experienced Fascist dictatorship, the Second World War, the Holocaust, and Civil War, a passage from Monarchy to Republic, a transformation from a peasant existence to an industrialized society, giving rise to a revolution in cinema, fashion, and transportation. How did all this happen? Who were the people behind these events? What effect did they have on everyday life? Answers these questions, exploring the history and the culture of Italy from Fascism to contemporary Italy, passing through the economic boom, the “Years of Lead,” and the Mafia. Students have the opportunity to “relive” the events of the twentieth century, assuming the identity of real-life men and women. Along with historical and cultural information, students read newspaper articles, letters, excerpts from novels and short stories from authors such as Calvino, Levi, Ginzburg, and others, and see films by directors like Scola, Taviani, De Sica, and Giordana.

During the first half of the semester, students study seven Renaissance Italian plays and are introduced to the history of Italian theater. During the second part of the semester, students produce, direct, and perform a Renaissance play or scenes from a variety of plays. Authors include Poliziano, Machiavelli, Aretino, Trissino, Tasso, and Bruno. Conducted in Italian.